Hi Everybody!
This past week went by extremely quickly, and I much enjoyed the time
Susi spent here with me. Now it's time for Paint Party Friday again, hosted, as always by Eva and Kristin. I made an A3 mixed media page. The background was painted and brayered with green, blue and white, then stamped while it was still wet to give some pattern and texture. Then I threw lots of flying bits and bobs onto it - cut outs, parts of a paper napkin, some alphas, tissue paper, washi tape etc. After that I used one of the new stamps I got at the Stamp Mecca (thanks, Susi!) and put the face next to the 'napkin face' - they make a nice contrast. The face stamp is one of a set of 3 from Lost Coast Designs. To finish it off I highlighted some areas with Gellatos.
For Art Journal Journey, back to school, hosted this month by dear Elizabeth, I made a hybrid piece. I used a photo of Tower College, a school near Liverpool where I used to teach when I was still in England - it was my last position before I moved to Germany. It was a wonderful school, and I was sad to have to leave there. The photo was masked and then placed on the cardboard background. I used a row of kids cut from a prospect and added the 'back to school' to their backpacks.
I made a second version with b/w images (from Gecko Galz), I couldn't make up my mind which one to use....
And I have some more photos taken during Susi's stay here:
These were taken at the nature reserve in the forest:
Wild cats:
Honey bees and bee-keeping:
A hotel for hermit bees:
Have a great day, take care,
and thanks a lot for coming by!
What beautiful art, I love how you take so many separate elements and put them together so cohesively! Lovely pictures as well, the bee on the purple flower is so elegant.
ReplyDeleteI love the pieces you created -- and I have NO idea how you managed to do so much when you had a guest and were running around doing tremendously fun things! Looks like you had a grand time -- both of you!
ReplyDeleteMy journal pages are done a month in advance!
DeleteLove the journal page, and Tower College has a very good reputation. Your mixed media piece is delightful, I always wonder how you manage to get so many disparate images to fit together so well! The photos are lovely as always. Here everything okay! Hugs, Sarah
ReplyDeleteA fantastic page for PPF and a great piece with your old school building, - it looks like a great school (just checked out their website). So now I am curious what you used to teach there.... German?
ReplyDeleteAnother wonderful set of photos too
Loving your mixed media page. that new stamp is very cool. And I also like seeing the school you last taught at in England and also how you changed the title around. Not sure which is my favorite because they each give a different feel to the page. Nice photos too. I think Susi had a successful visit with you. You look like you had a lot of fun! Hugs-Erika
ReplyDeletebrilliant job with your mixed media collage Valerie! I really like both versions of the hybrid piece. W@onderful photos as usual. Happy PPF!
ReplyDeleteLove your journaling, lots of fun!!!
ReplyDeleteHello to kitty!!!
Have a great weekend!!
You always capture the most beautiful sites through the eye of your camera. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredible post. The faces turned out lovely, and it was great you used the stamp Susi bought you. A fitting tribute.
ReplyDeleteI really like both AJJ choices. They are both fun and unique, but that school is fantastic. Who wouldn't want to work there.
More great shots of the fun you and Susi had together. At least you have a lot of wonderful photos you can share with us even after she's gone.
Ohhh the bits and blobs and cut outs are fabulous. I really like the back to school. Your photos are great. Glad you had such a good time.
ReplyDeleteLovely mixed media piece and both school pieces look good in a different way. Enjoyed your photos today, happy PPF!
ReplyDeleteWhat fun mixed media art! So many elements and colours and it all flows nicely! I love bright and cheerful :) Super photos as always!
ReplyDeleteSuper pages, how lovely you got to meet susi!
ReplyDeleteFabulous pages today Valerie. The first one has much to look at it took me ages to enjoy it all. I like both the school pages and just changing the images made them so different--what a great idea
ReplyDeleteWonderful photographs yet again and great reminders of your time with Susi. The reflection one is my favourite, it looks such a peaceful place. The bee hotel is fantastic. I love to come across the insect hotels that are springing up here and there
Have a great day
Love Chrissie xx
Deine tolle Mixed Media Seite durfte ich ja im Original beäugeln - zwinker! Super gemacht hast DU das und ich bin begeistert - in dieser schönen alten Schule hast Du sicher gern unterrichtet - zwei schöne hybride Seiten sind das ! Die Fotos sind großartig Valerie - es war sooo schön!
ReplyDeleteSchönen Freitag!
Willi und ich fahren shopping, am Abend kommt Julia von der Schulsportwoche ---
und schon hat mich der Alltag wieder.
Bussi
Susi
Love your collage of faces so many elements put together so well. I always enjoy taking a look at your wonderful photos. Thanks for visiting my page and the lovely comment about my art journal page.
ReplyDeleteHappy PPF
Vicki-Ann :)
Oh, you've had together great time!
ReplyDeleteI like that texture on collage!
I have to say your blog banner makes me so happy!! Love seeing Susi up close and personal...your art is fabulous as are all the gorgeous photos!
ReplyDeleteHugs Giggles
Great journal pages Valerie, and I think the b/w and coloured images of the children look equally goo.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos, thanks for sharing.
Avril xx
Wonderful pages, what a gorgeous building! It does look like a lovely place, I can imagine you found it hard to leave. Sounds like you and Susi had a wonderful time, and that nature reserve in the forest sounds just like my kind of place!
ReplyDeleteSuch a great journal spread and photos. Looks like you and Susi had lots of fun and that nature reserve looks like a wonderful place!
ReplyDeleteHa ha! My orange cat could have been a picture of the wild cat you showed today! Love your back to school pages so much and I like them equally. One is fantastic for colors. The black and white images look like the children in the first and second grade reading books I studied in many years ago.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful collage and mixed media art. Great photos too!
ReplyDeleteThe minds that do journaling amaze me. Plus how did you ever catch that great photo of the bee on the flowers? All wonderful.
ReplyDeleteFabulous collage and back to school page and more beautiful photos.
ReplyDeletexxx Hazel.
When I saw your collage I immediately heard music. Could have been Ode to Joy!! Anyway thank you for triggering my synethesia. Happy PPF :)
ReplyDeleteThe back to school layouts are so eye-catching! I love them. Also the bee on the buddlea flower is a terrific capture. Lovey art and photos as always!!
ReplyDeleteLove your collage and digital piece. Wonderful photos - looks like a lovely place to visit.
ReplyDeleteLove your bright colors!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering how you did it - your journal pages - and now I know!
ReplyDeleteThis one is terrific with all the flying bits and the stamping and everything.
I loved both "Back to School" pieces, I wouldn't have been able to choose one.
It was great to see you and Susi over the week enjoying yourselves so much, and seeing you "playing", you obviously had such great fun together.
I've had a Bee Hotel for several years but the bees never go anywhere near it.
I enjoyed all of your shadings this week. Your mixed media piece is vibrant, exciting and love the use of color! I always enjoy the photos of your surrounds. Thanks so much for sharing all!
ReplyDeleteGreat 'Back to School' Valerie, it was so interesting to hear that you taught in Liverpool. My husband was born in Liverpool, but he doesn't know that particular school.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you and Susi had a great time together.
I have actually seen a wild cat here in the wild. It was a few years ago when we last lived here before moving to the Middle East and Australia. He was just mooching around our wood store. I mentioned that I'd seen a HUGE Tom cat, but locals told me about wild cats. I looked it up and sure enough it was definitely the same cat!
I am now wanting a Bee Hotel (hehe)
Happy PPF to you
Great artwork and I like the kids that are colored. Great idea to use the backpacks for letters! Beautiful pictures of where you live! Looked like a great outing. Hugs, Rasz
ReplyDeleteA fabulous post post to read and enjoy seeing all the wonderful pages and photos.
ReplyDeleteThe new face stamp looks super, I think you will be enjoying using it often.
The bee hotel looked very posh and how good does that wild cat look. It was hard to imagine it being wild, so like the domestic cats.
Yvonne xx
Thanks for the art journaling and the photos. You put a lot a lot if work into that first piece. Happy you shared the process.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by my blog today
Much love...
I love those brightly-coloured children looking so happy to go back to school :)
ReplyDeletewonderful collage
ReplyDeleteHi again, oh how wonderful that Susi was visiting with you :) So much fun to spend time with blog friends in 'real life'. I love your pages, very beautiful and fun. Also I love your new whimsical blog header :) xx
ReplyDeleteLove, love, love the art today!!!! Nice photos and so glad to had such a great visit with Susi!!!
ReplyDeletenice artwork. I will probably not go back to school anytime soon. Even my grandchildren are done with it.
ReplyDeleteHow did I miss this? Or have I fallen miserably behind again. You are so creative - it's like your mind swirls here and there, touching down like a bee touches a flower - flitting here and there.
ReplyDeleteLove the building you used to teach in. Beautiful.
I love everyone of your pictures Valerie.
Sandy xx
wonderful photographs and glimpses of the season.
ReplyDeletelove those bee hotels. wonderfully artful.
Keep enjoying your art, it is great to see.
I don't miss 'back to school' at all! :)
ReplyDeleteI asked too many questions. Those days we should've sit and listen not question or be curious....
But I like your pictures! :)
Have a great week!
What a beautiful school!! Do you have photos of the interior as well??
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing your adventure with Susi!! Such a fun visit, for all of us! xo
Love your Paint Party Friday page but got quite a surprise to see Tower College on you AJJ page - I don't know when you left England but you may have taught alongside a friend of mine. Tower College is not far from where I used to live, but the school I taught at was on the other side of Warrington. They do say it's a small World!
ReplyDeleteLoved seeing more of Susi's visit with you, Hugs, Chrisx
I was there till the beginning of 1972! Yes, it's a small world!
Delete